Microsoft readies new Internet Explorer

Redmond, Wash. -- U.S. software maker Microsoft says it has released a test version of its latest Internet Explorer Web browser, which incorporates several new features.

The beta version of Internet Explorer 8 includes a tool called "InPrivate Browsing," which allows users to block the creation of a "history" file of sites visited, The Seattle Times reported Monday.

The new browser will make its formal appearance in January and comes at a time when Microsoft, based in Redmond, Wash., is looking to regain browser market share from Mozilla's Firefox Web browser and Apple's Safari.

"People are now more than ever participating in the Web," James Pratt, Internet Explorer product manager, told the newspaper. "Everybody has their suite of sites and services that make the Web unique to them."

Another new feature is "InPrivate Blocking," which enables users to see when a third-party content provider might be tracking their surfing activities.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.